Riverside Brookfield High School senior Jorie Eggers made the final surge of her most important 400-meter dash Friday with a unique feeling.
“Usually, even when I do good, I’m thinking, ‘This is hard. I can’t do this,’ ” Eggers said. “But when I came around today, it was like, ‘All right. I’ve got this,’ and I felt really different.”
Eggers not only enjoyed the feeling of her fastest 400 ever that again broke her school record. Her third-place time of 58.63 seconds at the Class 3A Oak Park and River Forest Sectional qualified for her first girls track and field state meet by beating the state-qualifying standard of 59.38.
Eggers’ best had been 59.95 May 1, which beat the previous 60.8 school record from 1986. With Friday’s heavy winds bringing dust and storms, Eggers was extra concerned about achieving the cut.
Eggers had three big benefits approaching the finish line – great competition, friends and family cheering her on and the visible clock.
“I was a little scared at first. Because of the wind, I definitely felt slower,” Eggers said. ”I thought I would come around the corner and (the time) would be like 1:00. But at 20 meters away, I saw it was at 54 and it was like, ‘All right. I’ve got to go.’ ”
Eggers now heads to the state meet Friday and Saturday at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
Lyons Township had three state qualifiers – senior pole vault champion Leigh Ferrell (3.20 meters/10 feet-6 inches), junior Sarah Wiggins, who won the 300 low hurdles (personal-best 49.97) and senior Vesta Samoulis, who was fourth in high jump (personal-best 1.57m/5-2). Ferrell is making her third trip and the others their first.
Top-two sectional finishers automatically qualify for state as well as entries that achieve state-qualifying standards at the meet.
Lyons Township’s Leigh Ferrell competes in the pole vault during the WSC Silver Girls Outdoor Championship Friday, May 9, 2025 in Downers Grove. (Steve Johnston) 
Lyons Township’s Lindsey Dunneback competes in the long jump during the WSC Silver Girls Outdoor Championship Friday, May 9, 2025 in Downers Grove. (Steve Johnston) 
Lyons Township’s Karenna Knop competes in the 100m hurdles during the WSC Silver Girls Outdoor Championship Friday, May 9, 2025 in Downers Grove. (Steve Johnston) 
Lyons Township’s Amelia Hammersley races between Oak Park and River Forest’s Amelia Hammersley and Nylah Smith in the 100 meters during the WSC Silver Girls Outdoor Championship Friday, May 9, 2025 in Downers Grove. (Steve Johnston)
Generally a 400 runner, Eggers opted last year to focus more on the 300 low hurdles, the event right after the 400, and finished third at sectionals. Realistically able to do only one of the events for sectionals, Eggers gained 400 confidence during the indoor season and never looked back.
“She had the option if she wanted to do the 300 hurdles or the 400 (Friday) and her head was with the 400. It paid off. She really went for it and she got it,” second-year RBHS head coach Lillian Holubek said. “We kind of knew coming into it, she had to get the time (to qualify). If you asked her what (the cut) was, she would tell you two months ago.”
OPRF senior Julia Brown won the race in a personal-best 55.58, the state’s fourth fastest sectional time. Second-place OPRF senior Bella Brauc (57.81) was an all-state ninth in 2024.
“Even though I didn’t catch them, they definitely did push me,” Eggers said.
“Since I started focusing on (400s) more this season instead of the hurdles, definitely (state) was a goal of mine. It was just seeing if I could break 60 (seconds) was the big thing. Then once I did I was like, ‘I’m closer than I think.’ ”
Ferrell was 26th at 2024 state (10-2). This season, Ferrell again has cleared her all-time school record 11-0 indoors and 10-9 outdoors but recently has been stuck at 10-6, the state-qualifying standard.
“I’m trying to get over a mental block and get on bigger poles,” Ferrell said. “If I can get on bigger poles in practice, I feel it will help me (at state).”
Samoulis had to clear the 5-2 qualifying standard to advance – and did so for the first time on her second attempt – after matching her previous best of 5-0.
“If I would get 5-2, it would be incredible. And then I did. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ ” Samoulis said. “It was my (personal record) so I was really excited. I was actually aiming for (at least) 5-0 and I got 5-2 and I was so happy.”
In the 300 hurdles, Wiggins led the battle for the second state berth on place and then won after the leader crashed clearing the next-to-last hurdle. It’s the first time Wiggins has ever won a major varsity race.
“I knew (qualifying) was a possibility, but I didn’t want to put it in my head,” said Wiggins, whose previous best (49.87 May 9) also would have won. “I kind of just forgot I was running against other people. I just wanted to beat myself. That was my goal. And I happened to beat other people as well.”
In 2A, Nazareth advanced sophomore Claire Sigmund (1:00.29 in 400) and freshman Delilah Apel (4.87m/15-11 3/4) with their second-place finishes at the Glenbard South Sectional Friday.
